Welcome Home
by Mikume-chan
Summary: Absence makes the heart grow fonder. In both cases.


Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, all credit goes to Masashi Kishimoto. The plot belongs to me.

_'Thoughts'_

"Talking"

_Words/Letters_

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><p><strong>Welcome Home<strong>

_And if it all falls apart, I will know deep in my heart, the only dream that mattered had come true. In this life, I was loved by you._ -Colin Raye

Tsunade stared out her window. She heard a poof from behind her. Tsunade sat down behind her desk and fixed her eyes on the beautiful pink-haired woman standing in front of her.

"What can I do for you shishou?"

Tsunade pulled a scroll from her desk and showed it to the woman. "This is a B-Ranked mission. There is a dangerous missing-nin in border of Fire Country. His name is Takuya Hoshi. Find him and kill him. Take your team with you. You leave tommorrow, understood?"

"Understood."

Tsunade gave her the mission scroll. The woman nodded her head and stood. Tsunade smiled, "I do have a door you know. Not like it gets used anymore, except when Shizune barges in."

The pink-haired woman chuckled. "My wish is is your command."

When she was halfway through the door, Tsunade spoke.

"Oh and Sakura? Naruto's coming home." Sakura turned around, a lovely smile playing on her lips. "Yes shishou." '_Naruto.._'

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><p>-The Next Day- (Southeast Border of the Fire Country)<p>

Sakura (tiger), Neji (raven) and Shikamaru (monkey) lept from tree to tree chasing Takuya's trail of broken sticks and footprints.

'_This is too easy.._' Thought Sakura suspiciously.

The trail came to a stop in a large clearing. They stopped. "This is a trap.." Neji said while looking up.

Takuya chuckled darkly. "And you fell for it." Takuya stood in a large tree in front of them. Hundreds of nin stood on the trees surrounding them.

"Dammit! He ambushed us!" Sakura yelled out. "Thank you Captain Obvious.." said Shikamaru from under his mask.

"Attack!" Takuya waved his hand and the all nin jumped down to meet Team 11.

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><p>One mile to Konoha<p>

A shadow darted from tree to tree.

_'I can't wait to see Sakura-chan again!' _He thought. _'I wonder what she'll think of me.'_ (Naruto's imagination) _"Naruto! You are so awesome! I love you! You're going to be the best hokage ever!" "Heh, I know" _(End of Naruto's imagination)

Naruto smirked, "It'll happen just like that, believe it!"

'I can see the Konoha gates! They're just ahead! Sakura-chan, here I come!'

With a burst of chakra, Naruto sped up. Soon he stood at the grand gates of Konoha.

Genma was patrolling that day. Naruto waved to him. "Hey Genma!"

Genma's senbon dropped out of his mouth. "N-naruto? Hey, welcome back!" Naruto strode through the gates and towards the Hokage Tower. "It's good to be home.."

Tsunade sat at her desk, worry lines creasing her brow. _'Team 11 should be back by now. This wasn't that hard of a mission for them.. Maybe I'm just being paranoid.'_

Shizune burst through her door. "Lady Tsunade! Naruto is back! He's heading here right now!"

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><p>-Southeast Border, Fire Country-<p>

"Sakura! Watch out!" Sakura turned around, a katana heading straight towards her. She shut her eyes, waiting for the pain. She felt nothing.

Sakura opened her eyes, seeing a heavily injured Shikamaru shielding her with his body. The katana pierced straight through his body. Shikamaru grimaced as he pulled the katana out of his body. "Are you okay, Sakura?" "She looked at him in disbelief. "Yes." Shikamaru smiled. "Good." Then he collapsed.

"Shikamaru!" yelled Neji from across the field. A katana headed straight for Neji, "Neji! Look out!" Sakura screamed. The katana pierced through Neji's stomach. He coughed up blood, "S-sakura, g-get out of here, r-run.." He collapsed as well.

"Give it up!" Takuya shouted from his place on a tree. "Your teammates are half-dead and you stand no chance against me!"

Sakura smiled sadly. "You're right." She whipped out a scroll and wrote a seal on Shikamaru and Neji. She then made handseals and focused her chakra, sending them straight to Tsunade.

Sakura slowly stood. "You're right, I cannot kill you and live. So my only option is to TAKE YOU DOWN WITH ME!"

Sakura summoned every last bit of her chakra and released it, creating an explosion, impossible to escape.

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><p>-Hokage's Office, Konoha-<p>

A deep voice chuckled, "I'm already here." Naruto walked in Tsunade's office. Tsunade sat up, worry lines smoothing out. "Naruto.." He smiled at her.

"Mission accomplished, a success."

Tsunade stood up and did a completely un-Tsunade like thing. She hugged him.

"We've missed you so much Naruto.." Naruto hugged her back. "Especially Sakura." Naruto's face brightened. "Yeah, baachan where is Sakura-chan? I want to see her."

Tsunade let go of Naruto and stepped back, her face resuming it's worried state. "She's on a mission." Naruto's face darkened slightly. "Rank?" "B." Naruto smiled and did the good guy pose. "Sakura-chan's strong! She'll be okay!"

*POOF*

A badly injured Shikamaru and Neji appeared on the Hokage's floor. A piece of paper sat on Neji's chest. Naruto picked it up, while Tsunade got all the medics and started healing them.

It read: _Shishou, the mission is a success. Unfortunately, I won't be coming back. By the time you finish reading this, I will be dead. Oh, when Naruto gets back, tell him I love him. _

"Baachan! What are Sakura's mission coordinates?" " The southeast border! Go! I'll send back-up!"

With a burst of Kyuubi chakra, Naruto was well on his way to Sakura.

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><p>-Deidara's Clay Bird, Flying Over Southeast Fire Border. Saw Sakura's Chakra Explosion.-<p>

"Now that is art, un!"

"Deidara."

"Yes Leader-sama?"

"My room has been blown to bits. The rubble now spells out 'Deidara Wuz Here'. Any idea of who did it?"

"Nope, un."

"Report back to base. Now."

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><p>-Southeast Border-<p>

Naruto looked wildly around. He heard a cough. Naruto spun around. _'There!'_ Against a scorched tree, lay Sakura, badly burnt, but alive. "Sakura!" He ran over to her. Sakura's eyes widened in disbelief. "N-naruto.." She coughed. "You're back. How I've missed you. Naruto, before I die, I have something to tell you." Naruto smiled sadly. "I was supposed to say it first." He looked into her jaded eyes.

"Sakura, I love you." "Naruto, I love you too." Sakura smiled weakly at Naruto. Naruto leaned into Sakura, his face close to hers. His cerulean eyes looked into hers. Sakura leaned up and closed the distance in a sweet, chaste kiss. Sakura pulled away and leaned back down. "Naruto, you're going to be a great Hokage one day. I wish I could be there to see that day. With a weak, trembling, burnt hand, Sakura touched Naruto's cheek. With the last of her energy, she smiled a beautiful smile, the one she reserved for Naruto. "Naruto.. Welcome home.." Her hand dropped from his cheek and her jade eyes slid shut as she slipped away from the world. A peacful expression rested on her face. Naruto's shoulders shook. A teardrop, then two and a flood broke loose. "SAKURAAA!"

_Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss, and ends with a teardrop._ -Anonymous

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><p>AN: I worked real hard on this one, I hope it's alright. Please review! It encourages me!

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